


It Comes At Night

by Sashataakheru



Series: Taskmaster Advent Calendar 2018 [4]
Category: Taskmaster (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Creatures, Astral Projection, D/s, Daddy/boi, Fear, Gags, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Keeping Watch, Latin prayers, M/M, Restraints, Shadows - Freeform, Silence, Spirits, Up All Night, christmas ghost stories, keeping still, praying, ropes, tied up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 06:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16848547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: Taskmaster Advent Calendar Dec 4: Up All NightAlex dreads the quiet, still nights where all the sound disappears from the world. Those are the nights when the shadows come and take his Master away.





	It Comes At Night

**Author's Note:**

> I’ll be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve scared a character I’m writing so badly they’ve started praying in Latin. Sorry Alex. XD But in my defence, I wanted fluffy Christmas Eve sleepovers for today’s prompt, but no, I wasn't allowed to write that, so instead Alex gave me more ghosts to write. Fucker. XD

It was far too quiet  
Alex always hated quiet nights like this  
He had to stay awake for Him  
But he ended up hearing too much in the still air  
Everything was deathly quiet, nothing moved, there wasn’t even any traffic  
Just His soft gentle breathing  
Shadows moved in strange ways tonight, Alex hoped they weren’t hostile  
He had no defence against the ghosts  
He was bound up with his ropes  
  
An hour passed, the air grew heavy  
  
A shadow danced in moonlight  
They were coming, Alex could sense them, they’d be here soon  
Then the horrors would begin, at least he wouldn’t fall asleep  
He had no idea how to explain what he had seen  
He desperately wanted to run  
  
At night they took his Master away  
But He didn’t leave His bed, it was just His shadow  
Alex had to keep a very close watch over his Master’s sleeping body  
And make sure his Master returned safely again before the sun came up  
Then the ghosts would leave  
  
The air always grew so very cold  
Alex curled up into himself, shivering, afraid  
  
His wife had told him to pray  
But Alex was sure that would just get him in trouble  
He didn’t know these spirits  
He didn’t want to know what might happen to his Master  
If He wasn’t able to return to His body at all  
If Alex scared them away with prayer  
  
They always laughed when they finally arrived  
Two hours had now passed  
Nothing but swift shadows, moving across the walls, swirling, falling, whispering, breath taunting  
Alex was sure no one else could hear them or even see them  
And His Master had gagged him to stop him crying out  
He couldn’t quite get it loose; his hands were tied up  
His arms bound as well  
Alex was not meant to get free  
  
Three hours now, and Alex was crying  
His Master had gone now, had fled with the shadow spirits  
It was still so very cold, and a spirit was watching  
Creeping slowly down the wall  
Alex could feel its breath on his neck, the scraping of sharp teeth  
Across his skin, threatening such great pain  
  
_Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio,_  
_contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto præsidium_  
  
He prayed now in whispers  
He didn’t know why, it wasn’t like he was particularly religious  
But he wasn’t really thinking, he was just so very scared  
And prayer flowed out from him, to Whoever might be there  
_Mare, Terra, Caelum, di vostram fidem obsecro!_  
  
But there was no answer  
  
Four hours passed, Alex was in pain  
Something had collided with him, hit his side, he’d fallen to the ground  
Lying now on his side, he couldn’t see a thing, he couldn’t move  
_Quisquis est deus, veneror ut nos ex hac acrumna eximat!_ , he prayed again  
Begging any god to help  
  
And then for a long time, stillness  
Silence crept in again, drowning his tears  
  
Five hours, or was it now six?  
Alex didn’t know, it had just gone so quiet, so still  
He couldn’t see any shadows  
But that didn’t mean they weren’t there, weren’t they always there?  
_Quisquis est deus, veneror ut nos ex hac acrumna eximat!_ , Alex prayed, desperate for his Master’s protection  
But the shadows were no longer there  
  
Seven hours, the first hint of dawn  
Alex heard them coming back  
The shadows soon filled the room, Alex felt so very tired  
He couldn’t tell if his Master was back, he couldn’t see  
He struggled to get to his knees, get off the ground  
To see if His shadow was there, He wore a crown  
Finally, the gag came loose  
‘Master, are You there? Please come back!’  
  
Suddenly, strong arms held him so tight  
Alex knew that presence, his Master was back, keeping him away from them  
_‘Don’t be scared, my dear boy, they’re just having fun,’_ said his Master, making Alex feel safe  
_‘I’ll send them away now’_  
Alex was never sure what happened next, the shadows just swirled until the air now was still  
And his Master kissed him, just once  
  
Alex pulled himself onto his Master’s bed  
It was so awkward to move easily  
  
He lay by His side  
Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw a shadow  
But then his Master’s strong arms held him close, He whispered  
‘They’re just spirits, Alex, they can’t hurt you unless I say’  
‘Don’t be afraid of the shadows, boy’

**Author's Note:**

> Sources for the Latin prayers used bc my Latin is not good enough for this shit and I wouldn't want to risk my shitty translation skillz:  
> \- St Michael's prayer: https://sites.google.com/site/prayinglatin/prayers/stmichael/st-michael-prayer-short-version  
> \- Mare, Terra, Caelum, di vostram fidem (obsecro)!: http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/plautus_benedictiones.html  
> \- Quisquis est deus, veneror ut nos ex hac acrumna eximat: http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/plautus_prayers_to_various_deities.html

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